These is my entry for the "Culinary Creations" contest. I figured that Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee would be a brilliant time to create something for this contest. I could spend ages listing what I WANTED to do for this, but the baking gods were against me and that list is very long... so instead, this is what you see in the photo:

The cupcakes are white chocolate with blue, red and white vanilla buttercream frosting, and strawberries.

Personally I don't like white chocolate, but it's the stuff of gods when it's in cake. Honestly, I encourage you to try it.

The decision to use strawberries, in all honesty, was not just because they're a "British" fruit; it was to make the cake less blue. (My red food colourings aren't very good, and gave me disappointing, aka non existent, results.) Originally I was going to make a second batch of cupcakes, and use the strawberries in those. However, when my grandad commented about how these looked "like my patriotism was absorbed in Doctor Who" I decided to rethink my ideas. I'm glad he did point this out to me, because I'm much more impressed with my end result than if they'd been left without the strawberries.

The weather let me down, as I originally wanted to cover my garden in bunting and photograph the cakes outside. So instead, I had to settle for digging out a roll of white wallpaper to create a clean backdrop. It took me a while to get the composition of the photo, because of how empty a white backdrop is, and due to the lack of suitable props in my house. After half an hour of trying to position cupcakes in the background, and someone letting my cat into the kitchen ( <_< ), I settled for the 2 tier cake stand because I feel its design fits in well with the idea of tea and cakes. Which, as we all know, is a bygone Sunday afternoon tradition - so I suppose I'm also honouring that in this photograph.

I love everything about this! The blue streak in the white frosting, the different wrappers (both the metallic and the patterrned), and the strawberries on top (which I feel, in addition to everything you stated in your description, also create a more summery feel).

Jess, are you keeping a photo album with pictures of all of these different creations? I can't remember if I told you this or not, but two summers ago I worked with two girls who were really into cooking all sorts of things, and they kept a book full of pictures of what they had made (my dentist also keeps a before-and-after one full of all of his major dental work jobs, but that's kinda creepy to look at). I guess this is kinda like a photo album, I just think it would be really neat if you had a tangible one yourself.

I don't have a hard copy of them, because it's just SO expensive printing photos over here (properly in a shop AND at home. hmpf.) however, everything goes on DeviantART, Tumblr, aaaaaaaand Facebook (and of course in a file on my harddrive); so everything's still there in one place, I guess. I would like to have one though... Maybe I could start it; get some prepaid prints at my supermarket or something - that more than halves the price of a photo print - and start one...

Really? Here it is about nineteen cents (0.1520 Euro?) each to get them printed at the store, but if you have a coupon it can only be twelve cents. Do you sometimes get coupons in the mail? Or you can check online?

That sounds about right, because it's about 16 pence for a 6x4 print in most places, but that adds up really quickly. >_< Nope, we rarely get coupons. Like I said about the prepaid prints, I just checked on Tesco's photo print website, and if you buy 250 print credits, it's £12.50 (which works out 5 pence each!!!) and the credits never run out. Sooooo, when my money goes in on Friday, I think I'm going to do that.

Jess, hope you don't mind me interrupting your comment replies here but i noticed you talking about how expensive it is to put together prints here in the uk,and wanted to suggest you look in to "Photo books" you can get them made up so cheaply especially as they often do deals for a first order, they look very professional too.I've had some done occasionally as it is so much cheaper than prints done singularly and then complied in a folder.Do a search for photobooks and loads of companies will come up, most have first time deals going, and potential clients will I promise you be sooo impressed.Hope it helps.

I have wondered about the possibility of getting a photo book. The trouble with them though, is that I can't add to them as I go along. I'd have to keep buying new ones in order to have hard copies of my work. Thanks for that extra bit of information, though! I rarely look further past the Supermarket's photo printing services. Heh.